52-17. Last year was a disaster for Lane Kiffin and he knew it. Kirby Smart and his crew ran buck wild over the Rebels, and they had probably the worst game of the entire 2023 season. Now, a wounded tiger is a dangerous beast and with Ole Miss getting paired against the Bulldogs in 2024, everyone knew that another explosive game would unfold. But one thing is for sure, no one out there would’ve foreseen Lane Kiffin and his boys dragging the Dawgs through the mud in what would be one of the most embarrassing games for Smart. 28-10. The Bulldogs were left scoreless in 2 different quarters of the game. That is how dangerous the Ole Miss D-line was.

But, is this enough to secure Kiffin the playoff ticket? Back on The Pat McAfee Show, Heather Dinich does not think so. “If Ole Miss loses a 3rd game, they’re done,” Dinich points out. This is a basic understanding. The Rebels are on an 8-2 run with their next games being against Gators and MS State. Losing to these guys would cut off Ole Miss from the committee’s panel. However, Dinich also dropped another bombshell which could be music to the Dawgs fans. “Georgia has the toughest schedule in the country. That’s why I treat them differently and I think the committee could too,” Dinich noted.

Up to a certain extent, this makes sense. Georgia had to go up against Bama, Ole Miss, Vols, and Texas. That is a hectic task and their only 2 losses have been to rank teams. Whereas for Ole Miss, they have lost to LSU and South Carolina. Here, the entire strength of the schedule concept will come into play.

If Smart and Co. manage to end the season with a 10-2 run, then they get an easy ticket into the playoffs. One single loss for Bama or Rebels could spell trouble for Kalen DeBoer and Kiffin. Despite losing their spot and now being ranked 11th in the latest AP Polls, Smart still has the upper hand.

What Kiffin can do right now is focus solely on the Gators game. See, the MS State showdown should be a stat-padding game for Kiffin. The dollars store Bulldogs are on a 2-8 and there is no way they can get past the Ole Miss defense and offense. However, against the Gators, this could end up becoming a hit or miss.

The Rebels come to Gainesville

Scott Stricklin managed to shake up the internet when he stated that the University of Florida is going to stick with Billy Napier for the 2025 season. This news was massive because if we judge from the overall performance Napier has showcased as an HC, it is a disaster. The once national champs are 4-5 right now and they have lost both of their starting QBs.

Graham Mertz is out with an ACL and DJ Lagway had a hamstring injury during the Bulldogs showdown. Now, against Texas, Napier had to rely on his walk-on QB Aiden Warner and that did not fare well for the team. They only managed to snag 17 points and Texas blew them out of the water with a 49-point game.

But here is the thing. If by some miracle Lagway comes back, then it could spell trouble for Kiffin. See, this guy managed to hold his own against Smart with ease. He-k it was so good that the Bulldogs only managed to snag 6 points through 2 field goals in the entire first half. The moment Lagway was taken out, the dynasty collapsed. For now, we have no news on Lagway making a comeback, so it shouldn’t be hard for Kiffin. However, anything can happen in CFB.